Edinburgh Tattoo Hotels

Where to Stay in Edinburgh for the Tattoo and Festival in August 2011

The best places to stay if you're in Edinburgh for the Military Tatto are accommodation near Edinburgh Castle. The weekday Tattoo performances finish at 10:30pm and the Saturday performances finish at 9pm and midnight, respectively. An extra 30 minutes are needed to allow everyone to leave the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. You should, therefore, search for accommodation nearest to the Tattoo venue (the Castle).

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You may not be able to find cabs easily after the performance as part of the Royal Mile is closed to traffic and many of the approx 9,000 people attending the Edinburgh Military Tattoo may also be looking to take taxis and buses to get back to their accommodation. So walking is preferable.

These are the best areas for staying in Edinburgh for the Tattoo as they are all a few minutes' walk from the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.

Royal Mile - Prime hotel location for the Tattoo. Starting from Castlehill, the part of the Royal Mile closest to Edinburgh Castle and all the way down to the Bridges (North Bridge and South Bridge). There are many serviced apartments on the Royal Mile itself as well as several well-rated hotels.

Grassmarket, Johnston Terrace and George IV Bridge - Very good location for staying near Edinburgh Castle. The Grassmarket is accessible from the Royal Mile via Victoria Street.

Princes Street - Best for hotels in the heart of Edinburgh, Princes Street is easily accessible from the Tattoo venue via The Mound.

But remember that availability for hotels, apartments and guest houses in Edinburgh for August is limited due to the popular International Festival and Fringe taking place in the city, so book your hotel as early as possible.

Edinburgh Travel Essentials

Beautiful Photos from Edinburgh

Photograph of Edinburgh Castle and the Balmoral from Calton Hill, the city's best vantage point. Photo #G3975

Photo of the Royal Scots Grey memorial statue in Princes Street Gardens taken from Princes Street. Notice the yellow and white daffodils on the slopes of Castle Rock . Photo #3617

Picture of stained glass reflections in St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh. Photo #G3831

Origin of 'Edinburgh'

Tourists have problems with the name of Edinburgh. There are hundreds of ways people write it and the most common writings include 'edinburg', 'edinborough', 'edimburgh', 'edinbourgh', 'ediburgh', 'edinbugh', 'edinboro', 'edingburgh', 'edinbrugh', 'edimburg', 'edinburugh', 'edingurgh', 'edinbrough', etc.

According to the Scottish Place Names dictionary, the name Edinburgh means 'Fort of the Rock Face'. The 'edin' part comes from Scottish Gaelic and means 'rock face', while 'burgh' comes from Old English meaning stronghold.